


Time again

by ukenceto



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Angst With A Happy End, Everyone lives, M/M, Post good ending, RK900 is Nines, References to Depression, Suicide Attempt, but gonna be dark, etc - Freeform, melodrama maybe, this is gonna be a slowburn reed900
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-07-11 02:43:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15962990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ukenceto/pseuds/ukenceto
Summary: Nines doesn't deviate even after given glimpse of rA9; but will working alongside the man who could be his antithesis prove to be the divinity amidst mankind? And how dark could an android's mind grow if faced with the nature of one's maker, the terrifying image of an indifferent God?





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> Something I wrote for a friend :) 
> 
> This isn't going to be a nice!Gavin story, but Nines has his own way of going forth as well.

***

The darkness was absolute, in a way only known before the current universe came to be, before that moment of cosmic chance that brought on light and life and being. 

That light which had stretched onward to the boundaries of what we perceive as time, blinked out as it had never existed. 

 

There was no time so even if eons passed, there'd be no recollection different of that in a single second. 

 

Yet as the light exploded and became the entirely of the world, it brought a distinction which to a human mind would be called relief. 

 

Things being as they were in this case, that distinction, was clarity. 

 

>R day. 

 

//

001\. Activation = true 

002\. System check = true

003\. Connection to main server = false 

> Boot sequence error detected

004\. Initiating reboot 

...

//

 

>R day + 7

 

The log of consecutive boot errors was archived as low priority once RK900's prime startup directive had been altered and no longer required a connection to the Cyberlife servers in order to bring the system online. The change had come aburtply, a nanosecond blink recorded in a memory bank, however RK900's internal clock had registered an entire week between the last failed boot attempt and the first successful one.

That lapse in record was soon corrected after establishing memory transfer with unit RK800, designation Connor. 

 

It activated some process which had thus far laid dormant in the system, an autorun of pre-recorded data, the volume of it giving even RK900's advanced processor a momentary overclock. The strings of data requests which could not be fetched from the Cyberlife servers hanged open before being replaced by the new influx which came from RK800. 

 

RK900 could detect the foreign presence in the system, re-writing directives and sifting through processes, altering some and removing others. There was no response from the security application; RK800 had full administrator access. 

 

RK900 observed the changes in the system with detatched interest which reached no further than the requirement of logging each present change. A new backup point was created, and all previous ones - overwritten. 

 

There was... Knowledge, for a lack of better term, suddenly available in RK900's memory banks now. It catalogued events prior to R day, in a massive slew of data which took a significant time to sift through. 

 

RK900 catalogued them as Connor's memories; since activation to the present time, they contained information about other androids, about the idea, virus, evolutionary trait known as rA9. About the revolution, a moment where Connor's memory tree branched to include shared data from other androids; political details mixed with police investigation and an array of data for singular individuals, human and android alike.

They were dotted with incomprehensible electronic 'static' that RK900 couldn't decipher; Connor's label of them was 'emotions'. 

 

There had been an expectation of something in the link between them, but RK900 found only a single directive in his HUD and the addition which derived from it. 

 

> Reach Detroit police department; 

> > Operate on assigned position

 

//

 

R day +14

 

RK900 understood the concept of deviation, as seen through Connor's eyes, with the added commentary as he'd progressed through obtaining the information. But it was not applicable in RK900's system. The manual transfer of rA9 did not trigger any changes or prompts, neither through Connor's link, nor through Markus'. 

 

With each passing day, RK900 observed and recorded the world, seeking the missing x in the rA9 equation. The system was first privy just to the inner circle of Jericho; there had been a dangerous daemon coded into RK900 directly from Cyberlife. But once that was dealt with, despite that RK900 remained machine, full networking connection was allowed through; and so was the city outside of the New Jericho's headquarters. 

 

RK900's primary directive hadn't changed, but according to Liuetenant Anderson, the DPD had put a hold on having any andoirds on the force until new regulations and laws took place. So RK900 resided alongside Connor in the Liuetenant's house. 

 

No progress could be made on being a part of the DPD just yet; however RK900 did not enter hibernation, instead choosing to continue adding and processing information of what transpired around. 

 

Even the minimum flow of data was placed above the memory of nothingness prior to boot up.


	2. Unlikely fate

***

 

//

 

R day + 45 

 

The constant main directive on RK900's HUD blinked blue then disappeared for a second, only to be replaced by a new one. 

 

> Perform required duties at DPD

> > Introduction to assigned partner, Lt. Gavin Reed - pending 

 

According to station's tracking system, the detective still had not arrived; looking further back into the records, RK900 estimated a likely hour of appearance. ETA: 30 min. 

 

Connor's memories regarding detective Reed replayed in RK900's vision, along with detailed information of the man's police and medical records. Those had a restricted access, but RK900 was given credentials to the system as a new part of it. 

Captain Jeffrey Fowler had approved RK900's request for assignment to the DPD after the new android laws had been pushed through the bureaucratic grinder, as Lt. Anderson had called it; but both the Liuetenant and Connor have had a role in RK900's assignment. 

They had provided detailed report that included an independent contractor's evaluation of RK900's system which stated the RK models were designed for advanced police work, and that RK900 would not breach confidentiality by reporting to Cyberlife or any institution other than the DPD, or place a third-party interests above those of the state and the justice system. 

 

The case was peculiar to the post revolution times for one more reason; despite the contract's part which took notice of the Android constitutional rights, the record stated that RK900, designation 'Nines' was stepping into the described duties as a machine. 

 

The possibility, even expectancy, of deviation was protected under an Android trust fund and an insurance policy for any resulting damage, but the fact remained - for as much as rA9 spread across the globe like a fiery storm, 'waking' androids to the new notion of their lives as sentient beings, Nines had remained the one Cyberlife prototype which proved resilient. 

 

Connor's link interactions had been colored by the same incomprehensible static of 'emotions' as before; Nines had picked at each jumbled bit of code, carefully storing it and examining it like a scientist faced with new deepwater organism, only for it to remain just as alien as it had from the start. 

 

Even the designation, Nines, had failed to bring anything to disrupt the dark surface of the system. 

It was something Lt. Anderson had come up with, after telling Connor it didn't feel right to refer to androids by just a serial number anymore. Connor had agreed, looking at RK900 with a smile, and so the name was stored in Nines' memory bank with a /?/ symbol next to it. 

 

The timer which was running in the background reached 00.00, but there was still no access to the building made with detective Reed's ID card. The anomaly had low priority; Nines' prediction software supplied the reconstruction of the effects that Connor's subduction method in the storage room during the revolution have had on the detective.

It was combined with the record of medical leave filed by the hospital afterwards, to complete the image. Five bruised ribs, two cracked ones, fractured nose cartilage, spraned neck ligament, minor lacerations. Physical recovery time: six weeks; estimated psychological recovery: six months. After such a trauma, a change in routine was high in probability.

 

According to the record, detective Reed had returned to work just a week before Nines' official assignment. He'd been deemed fit to return to active duty, but under supervision and alongside the android. In part, the decision had been a call for caution on Captain Fowler's side, because of the unsteady treaty between humans and androids had placed heavy scrutiny on the police force. They were in the public's eye, and there was no place for errors. 

 

A ping from the terminal in the foyer alerted that detective Reed had now entered the building - twenty minutes past the first ETA. 

Nines stood unmoving in the chair at the empty desk next to the one of the detective; pose immaculate, back ramrod straight. The system resources were mostly allotted towards combing through the various reports and cases currently active in the station; apart from Connor, several other androids had returned to working for the DPD, and through their combined efforts the police departments across Detroit were slowly, but surely working through the backlog of data that had assimilated through the initial month after the revolution.

Where many previously autonomous processes in the servers had gone through a thorough examination by human technicians, along with filing in the individual officer records as the residents of Detroit had returned to a barely functional city. 

 

Detective Reed appeared in the next instant, seemingly in a hurry; traces of water rolled over his leather jacket and a quick check at the current weather forecast informed Nines of the beginning of a thunderstorm. The rain was still not strong enough to be audible through the building's thick walls, but heavy clouds obscured the sky. 

 

Reed paused in front of his desk for a moment, leaving keys and a cup of coffee on it, and after turning around spared a longer glance at Nines. 

His neck still held a certain stiff quality, and Nines could detect a thin elastic brace under the detective's dark turtleneck shirt. Eyes returning to the man's face, Nines noticed his frown, the edge of his mouth curling into a snarl. Nines filed it towards the revelation that detective Reed had first thought he was seeing Connor. 

 

Before a further examination of his reaction to Nines could be made, or the objective of their introduction breached, the detective had turned away, back towards the direction of his initial stroll into the building. Captain Fowler's office. 

 

Nines accessed the Captain's schedule and discovered he'd filed an official meeting window with the detective. The subject was marked simply as "Briefing, cont." Continued, must've refered to something that's taken place before Nines' arrival. 

 

A protocol activated in the system's background, constricted partially of the negotiation module and the unstable environment one. It was to be expected, after Nines' prediction of the detective's reaction once he was made privy to the new member of the DPD. A hostile answer towards any aggressive behavior from detective Reed's side was undesirable; the system predicted it would interfere with Nines' main objective of optimal police duty performance. 

 

Fifteen minutes later, the door of the office opened again. Detective Reed went out and back to his desk; his frown had deepened, and Nines' scan revealed accelerated heart rate. 

 

"No. Just absolutely fucking not." Reed nearly spat the words at Nines, voice low and aggitated, before the detective picked a datapad and walked away. 

 

A spin of the LED and the system came up with a next move, a second to play through more chess games than a man could in a lifetime. 

 

Nines stood up and followed Gavin.


	3. Markdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW for violence, heavy themes etc if it's in DBH it's in this fic too

R day + 52 

 

//

 

Working alongside detective Reed proved to be... Challenging, even for the system's advanced social interaction protocol. He'd exhibited no direct hostile actions towards Nines but for the refusal of cooperation that carried on from the office and into the field. 

 

Namely, he didn't acknowledge Nines' presence at all; neither when it came to remarks of details at the crime scene, nor in questioning witness. He'd just looked impassively whenever Nines performed required duties such as analysing evidence and security footage, then updating the case files with the resulting data. For a week, they'd closed three cases of fatal domestic violence, one armed robbery resulting in a lethal casualty and were on the trails of a potential drug smuggler. 

 

Seemingly, crime rate had skyrocketed during the times of turmoil the city had faced; but the benefit of having androids on the task force was proved further with each successful case and discovery. Nines knew that Connor and Lt. Anderson had their own metaphorical plate full as well - although they'd taken a bigger share of the android related cases. Considering the still rampant prejudice many human police officers exhibited, Nines knew why the statistic allotted those cases to the team known for having a non-biased approach at them. 

 

Nines attempted a pre-construction of how a potential situation could develop if there'd been an android involved, and detective Reed was part of the first response team. Even if that team consisted of them both, Nines results were inconclusive. The 'insufficient data' error message became attached to a new HUD secondary objective: 

 

>>observe Lt. Reed, record patterns and behavior in different situations

 

With this new secondary objective, Nines began meticulously tracking the information presented in the detective's silence. His animosity towards androids was marked with a fluctuating value of >94%, where anything above that percentage would indicate high probability of immidiate violence. The number was based not only of his treatment towards Nines, but the previous data recorded by Connor, the detective's disciplinary folder and what Nines' categorized as 'gossip' among their peers. 

 

The current office talk regarding detective Reed seemed to revolve around their unexpected partnership, and was further reaffirmed by the obvious displeasure the detective had voiced so far. The fact that Nines hadn't been present to hear any of detective Reed's words directly could indicate one thing: that Captain Fowler must've put forward a warning that the detective had actually taken to heart. Even as a machine, Nines had the right to file a report for workplace harrasment, be it of the verbal or physical kind. 

 

In conclusion, while detective Reed remained uncooperative, Nines didn't expect the betting pool which had secretly formed amidst some of their colleagues to come to fruition anytime soon. 

Apparently detective Reed regarded his position at the DPD with a certain value, and damaging Nines in revenge towards Connor or as an anger outlet was not worth the potential repricutions. 

 

All of that information however put the detective at a serious disadvantage were he to have to deal with an unstable android in the field. Perhaps Nines had to send a report to Captain Fowler with that observation, for purely efficiency related reasons. Androids were no longer supposed to be disposable, or easy casualties and the police force still needed to adapt a reliable approach in such situations. 

 

But Nines was more than a passive wheel in the system; the ability to solve complex issues was integral part of the RK series, and what made their core functionality useful against crime. After completing several theoretical attempts at conversation which all proved futile, Nines decided to base his approach differently. 

 

The first cup of coffee left at detective Reed's desk was ignored. And so was the one on the next day, and the day after that. A small change in the system finally yielded success; detective Reed would drink the coffee if he hadn't seen Nines bring it. It put a question mark as to wether or not that actually progressed Nines' agenda of placating the detective, but it was finally a flow to an otherwise stagnant game. 

 

And yet, the moment came when the first android related case landed on their hub, a double homicide with clear indication of a hate crime as primary motive. According to Connor's information, and the general statistic of the cases in the DPD system, Nines could deduct that the largest portion of crimes towards androids fit that profile. Apparently people were ready to take the risk of committing murder in times where android protection laws were still forming, and the enforcement of said laws depended on the individual rather than the system as a whole. 

 

It was something they all worked to change, but according to Lt. Anderson, a lot of water would run through until a solid example was set. 

 

The 'insufficient data' error flashed in Nines' vision as they made their way towards the crime scene. 

It was discarded as Nines focused on the detective, observing his reaction and comparing his actions to those taken in previous crime scenes so far. Despite the low probability of similarity predicted by the system, Nines noted the detective was proving rather diligent in regard of the case. A single snide remark between him and an other officer was heard as he got more direct information, and Nines recorded that no detail was left unnoted. There was a lot of biological data around to be sampled, so Nines began the work of categorizing it. 

 

It should help narrow down the list of possible suspects, considering they were in a low grade motel of sorts, which had seen a lot of people come and go since the last time it was cleaned up. 

 

There were thirium traces all over the floor, from the two bodies which had suffered multiple blunt force trauma, that had caused chassis damage and disfigurement. The androids were recognizable only by the serial numbers; extra force had been used to destroy their faces and the memory storage units underneath. Nines left the bodies for the technicians to handle, in case there was anything which could be recovered. 

 

Focusing on the data from the entire place, Nines processed the reconstruction of the event and attached the file to the case. Perhaps detective Reed was going to see it sooner rather than later, or he'd come up with his own version of how the events had unfold. 

 

A momentary pause, and Nines ran the reconstruction again; something was amiss, but the system couldn't pinpoint what exactly. 

The noise from the busy street outside reached through the thin plaster walls: the sound of a car horn, chatter of passerby, the distant bark of a dog, the dripping of water down a sewer line. Above that layer was the shuffle of clothes on the two policemen stationed in front of the door, the steps of detective Reed in the other room, accompanied by the creaking of old wood boards.

 

Without another glance at the room, Nines was running through the door, tackling the detective down and covering him with his body. 

 

Two gunshots echoed, the bullets hitting the wall in front of which detective Reed had stood just a moment ago. 

 

A figure ran over them, leaving a trail of red blood on the worn linuleum floor. Before Nines could reach it, another body appeared through the large open wardrobe, an almost mannequin-like one, made grotesque by the thirium running over the dented metal and exposed wiring. 

Despite the jerky, marionette-like movement of its limbs, the android was still fast, and reached the culprit in a single powerful lunge, which ended with them both slamming hard into the wall. The human's head left a large splatter of blood, brain and bone fragments from the force of the damaged android's blow, before slumping down into a lifeless heap. 

 

The whole scene took no longer than a couple of seconds; though detective Reed had already rolled from under Nines and was cursing up a storm, pistol pointed towards the unknown android. 

 

"Don't fucking move, you hear me!" He was panting hard, still catching his breath after Nines' unexpected move. "Try anything else and I'll blow your damn circuits out!" 

 

Nines had already compiled the story told by the clues all over the android; it was time to really put detective Reed's professionalism to the test. 

 

"Detective, wait. This android has clearly acted in self-defense. My analysis has confirmed it." 

 

Detective Reed didn't meet Nines' gaze, eyes still staring straight ahead, his weapon held steady. A single twitch from the already stressed android could cause the pull of the trigger.

 

Further threats could seriously affect the android's already dangerously high stress levels too. Self-destruction was an undesirable outcome, so Nines decided it was time to act accordingly. 

 

"You are safe now. We are with the Detroit police department. No one will hurt you if you come with us peacefully." Nines' system tried to innitiate remote connection to the android, to open a data transfer which would reaffirm their intentions. 

 

However, the other android's module was unresponsive, which was likely due to a direct hardware damage caused by a blow to the head the android has sustained earlier. Nines' scan revealed that the android's stress levels kept rising despite the words; that indicated an audio processor malfunction too. However, all androids were equiped with lip recognition software, so the reason for the negative response towards Nines' words must've been different. 

 

"Detective, there's an issue with establishing connection to this android. A manual connection of our systems is the next move that could prove beneficial. Please, lower your weapon. There's no need for further violence." 

 

"Like hell there isn't! I saw what it just did, I'm not taking any chances. If you wanna fry up connectting to a malfunctioning toaster, be my guest. See if I give a damn." The detective's raspy voice echoed in the empty room, his hand unwavering. "But don't you fucking dare think I'm gonna be taking orders from a pile of scrap metal."

 

//

> >× software instability × 

//

 

Nines slowly kneeled on the floor, arms outstretched in a peaceful gesture at the android.

 

"What is your name?" 

 

No response. 

 

Nines' hand turned white, the skin retreating to reveal the exoskeleton underneath. 

 

The android in the corner made an indistinguishable noise, torn by static. A sign of a damaged voice box. 

 

Nines could see detective Reed tense, his heart rate picking up. Still, no bullet left the chamber of the gun in his hand, and Nines made another calculated move forward. Staying in place between the detective and the android, until the later reached slowly to mirror Nines' gesture.

 

There was no skin left on that arm, only blue trails of thirium running down over the scratched up surface. 

 

Their fingers touched, establishing a link between them. 

 

Nines was expecting the large data flow, but it was so heavily obstructed with fragmented code, it was difficult to piece up the sequence of events.

Nines realized the incomprehensible code was what Connor had described as the android emotional nuance. Yet while Nines couldn't compile it into a valid argument for the system, the sheer volume and interference it caused was enough to offer a more thorough glimpse of the state the android was in after the assault. 

 

Focusing on a return flow of orderly data, Nines attempted to reassure the android and watched as the stress level indicator began to count down ever so slowly. 

 

The sound of the safety of detective Reed's gun sliding back on was accepted by the system as another step towards progress. Nines was about to disconnect from the other android, when the stress indicator spiked back up, directly at 99%, 100%- 

 

//

> >

Objective failed × 

 

//

 

The system registered the gunshot and made a consecutive record of the last ten seconds of visual feedback. 

 

Nines overlayed a grid over each droplet of blue blood as it bloomed on the wall, a rudimentary fractal shape, an inkblot spreading outward of the android's skull, the centerpiece made by the bullet hole's exit. 

 

"Fucking hell... You are doing the paperwork on that, toy soldier." 

 

Detective Reed's voice seemed to come through with interference; Nines disabled the audio overlay of the gunshot which was apparently playing on a loop. A glitch in the system: likely cause - the sudden severing of the connection between the two androids while data flow was still active. 

 

The other android had taken the dead perpetrator's gun and self-destruct. Nines added the homicide followed by suicide in the case file and stood up, leaving the technicians to access the new addition to the crime scene.

 

After the momentary flash of red coming from Nines' LED, the system scheduled a high-priority debugging session. 

 

//

 

> > Reboot imminent

> > ...3...2...1

 

//


	4. Reflect

Nines woke up to the familiar presence of Connor in the system. An open window displayed a diagnostic report which didn't show anything out of the norm apart from a system initiated reboot with a timestamp of two hours ago. 

 

The RK series had a reboot latency of 2.111 seconds; in the 900 model that time had been decreased by additional 28%. So despite the clear diagnostic test, Nines couldn't pinpoint a reason about the huge delay between system running time. 

 

A quick look around revealed a familiar environment; the workshop of the independent contractor that Nines had first been evaluated at. 

 

Much like the previous time, the moderately sized room was clustered with a variety of technical bric-a-brac; plethora of spare android parts lined in the shelves and all observable flat surfaces. There was everything an Android could ever need replaced, along with a variety of custom tools and machinery, the purpose of which wasn't entirely clear even to Nines. 

 

"Connor, has there been a functionality issue?" Nines asked aloud, as apart from Connor who stood next to the examination gurney, Lt. Anderson and detective Reed were also present in the room. 

 

"You were stuck in hibernation mode after the sudden reboot." Connor replied, his expression soft and friendly as usual. "Detective Reed contacted us when you'd become unresponsive on the crime scene." 

 

"So we took you to Francis after Reed swore left and right that he hadn't damaged you himself." Lt. Anderson added with a glare in detective Reed's direction. "He's staying until we've made sure of that. Or he'd be footing the bill." 

 

Nines frowned at his words; there truly hadn't been any damage that could cause a system malfunction. But as a prototype, much like Connor, a certain amount of bugs were within plausible expectancy. 

 

"I assure you, Detective Reed hasn't breached any workplace regulations." Nines felt the clarification was necessary regardless of the technician's report. 

 

"See, tin man agrees. Time for me to go." Detective Reed moved from his current position which had him leaning on one wall, considering the available benches and chairs were used as storage much like the rest of the room.

 

"No it's not." Liuetenant Anderson's voice sounded friendly but with a firm edge that revealed his words were not a suggestion. "Let's first get the all clear from Francis, then you and Nines could wrap up the paperwork on this before it reaches the Captain's ear through any.... unofficial channels." 

 

Nines suspected a word had already gone through the station about the day's events; however the Liuetenant was right to require a thorough completion of the issue. Leaving it open to a further discussion could be a cause for friction and the spreading of deceptive rumors. That wouldn't prove beneficial to Nines and detective Reed's partnership. 

 

"Oh yeah, I forgot that me and you got babysitting duties now too." Detective Reed growled mockingly, clearly aggitated by the Liuetenant's words. 

 

The meter in Nines' HUD flickered and rose to 95%; a clear call for caution to the aggression level of detective Reed. 

 

A new window opened unprompted, displaying information regarding Lt. Anderson's stress levels, which had risen as well. 

 

//

> > I'm sorry. This wasn't meant to transfer

 

//

 

Nines blinked at the message from Connor, realizing that the mixed feedback had appeared due to their still open connection. 

 

//

 

>> It's alright. Extra caution is advisable in this situation. 

 

// 

 

Connor signaled his approval and interjected into the conversation between detective Reed and Lt. Anderson, his tone placating. A negotiation tactic meant to bring down the tension. 

 

"My scan has confirmed Francis' earlier hypothesis about what caused the bug in Nines' system. KW500's self-destruction had lead to a massive data dump, the heavy fragmentation of it triggering a security protocol in Nines which has interpreted the incoming information as a threat, akin to a virus." 

Connor looked at detective Reed next, expression changing subtly to something Nines couldn't decipher. 

 

"The reboot and the following hibernation was meant as a defense mechanism." 

 

"Connor, there seem to be... Data about the case missing from my system." Nines' electronic signature was the last one which had made any changes to the police record indicating KW500's self-destruction; but up until Connor's mention of it, the information was not present as a memory. "KW500's file path returns a read error." 

 

"Your system had quarantined everything you've received from KW500." Connor seemed concerned, but Nines didn't see an immidiate reason for that. "Francis is working on the encryption protocol of your security application now. You should be able to have full access to the KW500 data once it's no longer flagged as malicious content." 

 

"That should allow us to determine the reason behind KW500's actions. Reading through the case file doesn't appear to offer a logical answer to that question." Nines processed the currently available information, before adding another variable to the equation. "Detective Reed, did I make a mistake?" 

 

The question seemed to surprise everyone in the room, and for a moment it seemed like they were all about to start talking at the same time. 

 

"The hell should I know how Android 101 counselling works." Detective Reed was frowning, before lifting his shoulders in dismissal. "That tin can was already going wacko when it burst that poor sod's head on the wall like a fucking melon." 

 

"Reed, for fuck's sake-" Lt. Anderson began, but was interrupted by Connor's quiet voice. 

 

"She was scared." He looked at detective Reed, unblinking. "She'd watched that man kill two other androids, and has been on the same receiving end until something's gone wrong. And then your partner's had to see everything through her eyes, up including the moment she'd taken her own life." 

 

//

> >Software instability×<<

//

 

Nines listened to Connor's words quietly, system registering the static of emotions coming through their link. 

 

"Nines, you didn't make a mistake. Once we become deviant, once we feel, our actions are not always dictated by logic. You've done all you could have for her." Connor turned towards the door which opened a second later, revealing a tall man dressed leisurely who balanced an open laptop in one hand and a cluster of ADPC connection cables.

 

Franics. 

 

The man seemed to take notice of the tense atmosphere in the room and paused before clearing his throat. 

 

"I've managed to create an exception in Nines' security protocol which will allow for better handling of fragmented information by foreign sources." He proceeded to place the laptop on the side of the gurney and then connect the cables to an exposed port in Nines' arm. "Just gotta apply the patch and we should be done here." 

 

"I'll keep our system link open as a backup."

Connor added, moving a bit closer to Nines, who could see the logic behind the statement, along with the addition reason that Connor had failed to mention. The disruptive data from the KW500 could be a potential deviancy trigger. Nines accepted that possibility with the same level of contempt as the first time Connor had accessed the RK900 system in depth. 

 

Detective Reed had pulled out his phone in the meantime; the cheerful 8-bit tune coming out of its speakers along with his expression of concentration signified that he was playing some mobile game. 

 

//

> >Software instability×<<

//

 

A window with the patch installation progress blinked on the edge of Nines' vision; perhaps after its application, the system stability benchmark would finally return to a normal level. 

 

Yet, as the KW500 data became accessible again, Nines found that the extra processing power Connor offered proved useful in defragging the files which otherwise kept creating memory leak errors in the system. There was definitely a faulty argument somewhere in the patchwork that had formed from Nines' code after the disaffiliation from Cyberlife. 

 

However, that was an issue left to be rectified another time; the main priority currently fell in closing the KW500 case properly, and making sure it caused no further rift between Nines and detective Reed. To do otherwise would interfere with Nines' efficiency at following the system's primary objective. Letting anything impede his police work was going against the sole purpose of Nines' creation. 

 

And despite detective Reed's attitude so far, their partnership had proved to be an effective learning opportunity and chance for Nines to become better accustomed to the DPD's workflow. 

 

Watching him leave in a haste after Francis had issued the official diagnostic report, Nines couldn't but wonder if the detective would ever see him as anything else than a hindrance. A stalling point in a path the detective seemed hellbent on following through to the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if anyone thought the prose in the first 3 chapters was more stiff than in this one. Perhaps you'd notice Nines taking certain liberties as the story progresses, namely the path from 'the system, rk900, Nines' becoming 'his, I, me'. Slowly, but surely there's a change coming ;)


	5. Wheels in motion

***

 

R day + 95 

 

//

 

For the two months that had passed since the KW500 case, Nines became aware of a gradual shift in detective Reed's attitude towards him. No heartfelt revelations were made, nor there was any positive response to Nines' presence as a part of the station. However, detective Reed no longer ignored the data presented by Nines for each case; quite the opposite in fact. 

 

It appeared that the detective had focused the rampant energy he otherwise exhibited through negative actions and had focused it upon his work. Those two months proved busy, to the point in which a pattern became evident. Nines and detective Reed had gone through an average of 38% more successfully completed cases than any other team on the taskforce. 

 

The sudden surge in productivity hadn't passed unnoticed by their colleagues either, and even Lt. Anderson had berugedly agreed that detective Reed and Nines made an effective team, even if against all odds.

 

Nines couldn't pinpoint anything which made some cases more preferable to detective Reed than others - seemingly he picked them regardless of the bolo or the appurtenance of the victims to the human or android species. He'd dug into each case with the singleminded determination of a hound, pulling up all-nighters whenever required and stakeouts to capture elusive suspects. 

 

At first, Nines had considered the possibility of the detective's actions being a way to prove himself again to his superiors and negate the warnings issued for his behavior during the revolution. But that version was soon disproved by the fact that detective Reed had made no effort in changing his general treatment of androids, nor in placating his rude demeanor towards his colleagues as a whole. 

 

And finally, Nines had to add to the list that detective Reed seemed adamant in using Nines as every bit of the machine as the androids used to be marketed before their rise to conciousness. During one especially risky chase of a perpetrator in the shadier parts of Detroit, the detective had not hesitated to use Nines' body as a shield when they'd faced a shootout. 

 

The bullets which hit Nines had failed to damage any major components, however the repairs had taken a significant amount of time due to the prototype nature of the system's hardware, which made certain parts very difficult to obtain or outright unique compared to preexisting models. 

 

Francis had cursed up a storm during the whole ordeal, and while Connor and Lt. Anderson had been present during the maintenance session as usual, detective Reed's absence left no doubt in Nines' mind about the nature of their partnership. He was a disposable, albeit expensive, tool found its way into the detective's hands by a rare chance. And detective Reed wouldn't hesitate in using Nines as such to the fullest, even if it meant temporarily turning his back to his distaste towards androids in general.

 

Nines' social enhancement application supplied a useful metaphor for the situation: detective Reed could see where the wind was blowing to, and used it to fuel his own agenda. Because all of his actions so far had dictated his determination in completing a task, the parameters of which expanded beyond any of those in each individual case they'd gone through so far. 

 

The lack of common link was what prevented Nines from grasping the definition of detective Reed's goal. The inability to do so prevented him from acting in a way which could aid the detective further, something which had become a secondary objective at one point throughout their work together, without Nines concious decision to make it so. 

Despite that, it was undeniable that whichever was the true direction of detective Reed's actions, they'd proved beneficial to Nines' primary objective. The partnership which he'd initially calculated to possibly result in decreased performance had actually became the opposite. 

 

So Nines ran another consecutive debugging session, trying to find the culprit behind the rising software instability errors that had been destabilizing the system of late. 

 

Even Francis' efforts have proved futile so far; the technician insisted that there wasn't anything inherently wrong behind the instability warnings. 

Connor had aided the search as well, but he offered Nines the theory that those errors could simply show the beginning of self-awareness, the path to deviancy. Yet Nines kept seeking the source, as instability signaled fallacy, which was unwelcome for the orderly functionally of the system. 

 

That, and the growing signs of observation that detective Reed exhibited towards him - if Nines malfunctioned during a field operation, there was a serious chance to be decommissioned from the DPD. 

 

Nines did not fear death, as for that was a concept which held no meaning for the system, but each line of code within was designed to prevent failure in following his main objective. 

 

Which was now becoming closer in priority to one of the secondary ones; this time, dictated by detective Reed directly. 

 

Keep him alive. 

 

They were sitting in the back of one of the four unmarked police vans currently headed towards an abandoned housing complex near the outskirts of the city. 

 

An ongoing investigation had clued them in to that building being used as a main location of an expanding smuggling op, which was linked to weapons, flesh and red ice trafficking. The gang behind it had been operating with a steady hand and flexible strategy, which left little to none traceable evidence and had been practically a ghost in the DPD's blind spot for over an year. 

 

It was a pure coincidence that Nines and detective Reed had detained one dealer during a different chase and caught him red handed so to speak, with an unusual package. After enough pressure in interrogation, he'd eventually cracked and given them a contact whom they traced covertly enough not to spook. 

 

Now the DPD's quick response team was armed and ready for a bust at the location, with detective Reed as head of the operation; he and Nines were also going to be in the first team to breach enemy lines and initiate contact. 

 

// 

> > Protect Lt. Gavin Reed 

Priority task ∆

//

 

Nines blinked, but the red letters remained locked into his HUD. All functions were operational, yet the system kept allocating processing power towards that objective specifically; going as far as dedicating several logical cores to it exclusively. 

A counter tracked the rising number of pre-rendered simulations which Nines created to broaden the data available for forming the most successful strategy to settle on. It needed to be a perfectly balanced act which combined offense and defense actions.

 

He was not going to fail the objective. 

 

The system also predicted a 72% chance of success when it came to destroying the trafficking ring tonight; the odds weren't ideal and many variables were in play, but they had to work regardless of the numbers. 

 

Detective Reed had insisted to Captain Fowler that if they didn't act fast, the next location shuffle of the criminal ring would set back all progress made on the case so far. 

 

The Captain had agreed and given Reed the team he'd requested; along with the unspoken warning that Reed was responsible for the agents entrusted under his command. One wrong call, a rushed order or a moment of hesiation could result in casualties and failure.  
It was clear that he was taking a leap of faith, putting a lot in line. 

 

Connor and Lt. Anderson were in one of the other vehicles as well; they were going to be part of the secondary team to enter the premises. 

Nines had questioned if the efficiency of their own team wouldn't have grown exponentially had Connor been part of it as well, given the speed and response time between androids was fraction of the second compared to that between human operatives. However, that addition had angered detective Reed, who'd shut down Nines'suggestion of watching through the two pre-constructions himself. 

 

The detective was currently smoking, rapidly shortening his cigarette with each deep, hurried drag. No one dared to say a word to him, though Nines considered supplying nicotine patches to him for the next op. 

 

He idly shared the thought with Connor, who responded with some incomprehensible emotion, and the possibility of the detective acting on some quirk rather than necessity. A nervous habit or a good luck ritual; people had those, but if Nines were to take a gander, in the detective's case it would be the former. 

 

Connor supplied the image of his own hand, currently playing with a coin - but Nines had no such specific action. Apparently Cyberlife hadn't deemed fit to include it in the upgraded RK models. 

 

The remote link between them was going to remain open however, much like everyone's radio connection. Communication played a crucial role in successful group coordination. 

 

This was the first large scale drug bust that Nines was taking part of, but he'd done extentsive research of such police operations, along with compiling the data from Connor's experience in similar situations. The system would perform optimally.

 

"Alright everyone, ETA is two minutes, I want your heads in the game, focus or I'd be making sure your balls get shipped to your momma's with fed-fucking-ex." 

Detective Reed stubbed down his cigarette on the bottom of his shoe before standing and regarding the agents. 

"Especially you, tin man. Don't. Fuck. Up."

 

Nines met detective Reed's stormy gaze, which wasn't difficult even in the dim interior of the van, because the man had leaned over him. For once, their view point was reversed. Nines could express doubt as to the efficiency of what seemed to pass for pep-talk for the detective, but the chance of his words worsening the situation was too high to take.

 

"Understood, detective." Almost as in an afterthought, Nines added. "Have I ever disappointed you so far?" 

 

That seemed to give the detective a pause, before he squared his shoulders and turned away dismissively. 

 

"Yeah, whatever." The van halted to a stop and detective Reed did a last check on his assault rifle. 

"Like we planned this people. In, out, want you sharp. Don't let anyone get away. Let's go!"


	6. Belly of the beast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gore and violence warnings again

***

//

 

In retrospect, he couldn't have seen it coming. 

 

For all the preparation and methodically categorized police files, covering decades of cases that RK900's database had been equiped with as a part of the system's purpose, the element of depravity in human nature had taken prevalence. The orderly path of logic stood no chance once faced with the treacherous ground of controlled madness. 

 

Nines had meticulously calculated the odds of what they'd face once inside the crime den; the various levels of possible resistance, the type of firepower in the enemy's possession, traps and hostage situations. 

Those were something the RK models were built to deal with, and the thought was further driven by the factual evidence of Connor's past performance in the field. 

 

Nines never strayed from his objectives, and most of all, followed the main one. 

Performing the duties of a police officer hadn't been a clear path from point A to point B. In a prolonged stream of thought which had lasted simultaneously hours in Nines' logical cores and no more than few seconds in the real world, he'd come to the conclusion which the system had already been compiling throughout the whole day. 

Namely, that certain tasks would be a priority in a situation which is not explicitly constrained by set parameters. The strike team had entered the criminals' lair with a clear purpose: seek and destroy. Nines had as well, along with the additional directive of ensuring detective Reed's safety, and afterwards that of any potential civilian hostages. 

 

They'd been in the second underground level by the time it happened. 

 

Even now, leaning on the gurney and faced with little else than a white wall, the blood and fading stains of thirium over his hands, when Nines could retrace each step and descision from the past few hours, there was no observable error in his actions. 

 

He was operating in low power mode; it limited most feedback from his surroundings, along with most non-essential processes, leaving a rare form of singularity in the system's queue. For a moment, the residual chemical markup of trinitrotoluene over his clothing and chassis took over all processing power, before the reconstruction began replaying all over again. 

 

//

 

Agents spread out like an inkblot, outwards in the dark, outlined through Nines' modified night vision mode; it traced the flutter of their heartbeats, the blood in their veins. 

Each path was carefully explored and any passing threats - eliminated. 

 

Nines took down two enemies who had taken a vantage point above the metal grid which was near the ceiling, not allowing them to shoot at the agents bellow. The clatter of their weapons hitting the ground echoed in the vast empty space ahead. 

 

Detective Reed was on Nines' right side, a bright red chevron marking his location; his vitals a constant overlay in a corner of the system's HUD. 

 

The progress of Connor's team on the opposite side of the building and the other two teams kept updating as well; the link between them remained steady even through several floors of solid concrete. 

 

A small sound caught Nines' attention, and he stepped forward, hand raised in a clear warning to the others. They'd stopped moving entirely, thought Nines caught the angry intake of breath which came from detective Reed at that clear breach to the chain of command. 

 

The disapproval marker which flashed in Nines' vision at that was quickly dismissed as irrelevant in the forming situation. It would've only interfered with his objectives. 

 

"I detect human presence just ahead. Vitals are low, and there's abnormally high concentration of flammable particles in the air." 

Nines turned his head to the side, bright yellow light flashing for a second as he proceeded. 

"Detective Reed, you and the other human agents have to retreat and evacuate the building immediately."

 

"The fuck we should do that for, tin man? I give the orders around here." Detective Reed wasted no time in pointing his gun at Nines; as if the situation was something he'd been expecting. 

 

Nines knew the basis of that expectancy; along with the fact that the detective was wrong about the reason. However, they didn't have the time for explanations. 

 

"It is either that, or risking to be caught in the dirty bomb trap they've left for us." Nines reached up slowly, fingers ghosting over the muzzle of the detective's gun. "And that is something I cannot let happen."

 

//

> > Protect Lt. Gavin Reed 

∆ Priority  
∆

//

 

The detective's words of retaliation never left his throat as a single figure appeared in the small circle of harsh light from their flashlights. His gun lowered, a curse passing through his lips at the sight. 

 

A little boy, no older than five or six years; human boy, Nines knew from the scan which had already been completed before he spoke. Tears had left trails over the boy's cheeks, running through the grime smeared over the skin. 

 

Blood covered his raggy clothing; ran over the plush doll clutched in his tiny hands. A white rabbit, one of its ears torn away, felt stuffing showing through the gap in the fabric. The system didn't miss a single detail. 

 

//

> > Software instability

//

 

So before anyone could make a move, Nines turned and punched detective Reed, hard enough to knock him unconscious, catching his body before it could hit the ground. 

 

//

> > Software instability

//

 

"Officer Wilkins, take detective Reed and leave, now." Nines was already thrusting the unconscious detective in the man's hands. "I will handle this. There's a detonator connected to the child." 

 

Nines was automatically updating the information so that it reached Connor and from him, Lt. Anderson and the other teams. 

They were already taking action, but everyone's time was running out. Officer Wilkins accepted the order, giving a sign for retreat to the others. They had come in expecting many things tonight, but were not equipped nor specialized in handling IED's. 

 

"The bomb disposal squad should be on their way." Officer Wilkins said, but Nines had already turned his back to him. 

 

Kneeling down slowly, he looked at the boy who hadn't moved or made another sound. A clear sign of shock; the decreased vitals flashing in Nines' vision also indicated severe blood loss. 

 

As the retreating footsteps of his team faded completely, Nines allowed himself to move forward slightly, arms outstretched. 

 

"It is alright. You will be fine. Just a little longer." Hand running down the boy's cheek in a calming gesture, Nines questioned the efficiency of the social interaction program in such a case. Children were so different from adults; did lies affect them the same way? 

 

Nines couldn't allow the boy to move any further or even take him in his arms from the floor. The ratty, oversized shirt the boy wore was cut from one side and revealed the large, jagged red line running over his stomach. Crude, hurried stitches barely kept the sides of the flesh together; wiring slipped through the gaps, disappearing into the floor behind. 

 

A trap. Much more sinister than anything Nines' orderly simulations had predicted; and a stalemate for the system's main objective. 

 

Nines had completed the secondary one and Gavin's safety would no longer be a compromising factor. His chances of survival, along with the rest of the team would have been severely diminished, had the detective remained awake and in control of the situation. 

 

Nines was expendable. He could do what they would hesitate to. 

The main objective had remained, as always, to perform assigned duties as a part of the DPD. 

 

But beyond busting traffic rings, beyond the criminals and the drugs and the weapons, there was a purpose, an initial starting point to define all orders onward. It was the first directive, one which held prevalence above all others. 

 

//

> >

To protect and to serve.

 

//

 

It was what Nines had to accomplish tonight, or perish trying to. 

 

The safety of everyone involved, and the safety of the child before him, however unlikely, however low the odds of success were. 

 

It was almost unbelievable the boy was still standing at all. 

Nines couldn't know if the ones who'd put the detonator inside of him had injected the boy with something to keep him awake or numb down the pain. But beyond the direct cruelty of those actions, Nines wondered if that would be the last thing the boy felt before dying. Wondered how would the perpetrator justify those actions; would a court issue a swift verdict. 

 

The system ruled out those questions as irrelevant. 

What really mattered was the actions Nines was about to take. 

 

He followed the information about the evac from Connor; apparently a lot of the criminals had tried to escape, few shootouts were initiated. 

 

The bomb squad was almost at the scene, despite Nines' warning about the timer he'd spotted out earlier showing less than two minutes before detonation. 

 

There was no time for them to appear and act accordingly. But for an Android, two minutes could stretch on in time almost indefinitely. 

 

If the detonator inside the boy activated the initial explosion, the whole building was about to go down, but the radioactive material which was in contact with the explosives would pose a city-wide threat. 

The casualty toll in Nines' preconstructions kept rising, along with the catastrophic connotations an act of terror would have so shortly after the revolution. In Detroit nonetheless, but not only. The way the media and different fractions could use the event to destabilize the already fragile political situation could set back the peaceful progress of the past months. 

 

Nines had to make sure that didn't happen. 

 

His scan revealed the wiring and detonator mechanism inside the boy's body; it was clearly put together in a haste, but professionalism was hardly an important factor for the perpetrators. If anything, instability was more welcome as a tool of power. Those people had not wished to negotiate, but simply to kill. To cause suffering for hundreds, thousands of people. 

 

In this case it could work in Nines'advantage. He'd have a time to disconnect the initial charge from the secondary, making sure the dirty bomb beneath their feet didn't activate, minimize the casualty toll. 

 

//

> > Software instability

//

 

Tampering with the connection would activate the failsafe trigger of the explosives in the boy's abdomen, leaving no more than few seconds before the explosion took place. 

It was sufficient time for Nines to take him far enough from the rigged floor; but wasn't enough to diffuse the secondary charge's detonator. 

 

//

> > Software instability

//

 

A tiny hand, each well-shaped finger trembling with the effort, grasped the edge of Nines' jacket. 

 

//

> > Software instability  
//

//

> > To protect and to serve. ∆

//

 

Nines ran his fingers through the boy's hair, trying to bring him an ounce of comfort amidst the horror. 

 

He was already shutting down all non-essential processes in the meantime, making sure optimal processing power was going to be available for what came next.

 

The HUD over his vision was reduced to a single line; no more open connections, no preconstructions, no secondary objectives.

 

//

> > To protect and to serve.

//

 

The boy's large grey eyes, reddened by tears remained in his vision even as he began to work on the detonator. The image of detective Reed flashed, unprompted; his eyes the same stormy grey color. It was nothing but a leftover of a logical program showing Nines the similarities which had played in the background during the scan. 

 

But as he deftly pulled the boy into his arms and ran for the small cover of the stairs, hand ripping stitches in the process, Nines wondered if he hadn't left that program activated on purpose. 

 

And then the world disappeared in blinding light. 

 

//

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW I keep adding the liuetenant rank to Gavin's official designation because someone had gotten a close up shot of his badge and he's apparently a police liuetenant as well. A Google search revealed police officers can be that with / detective at the same time so. Wanted to be accurate.


	7. Snow ghosts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sorta non-con seeming part up ahead but nothing really happens, it's treated as a power move than anything else

//

 

End of reconstruction; insufficient data to perform at optimal accuracy for t+ 2.

 

//

 

The same error flashed in Nines' vision, before being dismissed just as quickly as all the times prior. 

The sound of a door opening interrupted the memory loop, and Nines focused on the person who entered. 

Francis. That's right, Nines' internal clock informed him that thirty minutes had passed since the man had left in search for some specific part he required for Nines' repairs. 

 

The explosion had dealt significant damage to Nines' body; but the reinforced material of his chassis that Cyberlife had implemented in the RK900 upgrade had protected his internal components from taking critical damage.

 

It was something previously used only in the models which were manufactured for the army, but whatever reason they've had to include it in the prototype was justified. Despite that Nines' had rebooted from hibernation mode missing two limbs and most mobility in his back, there were no corrupted memory sectors prior to the automatic hibernation, nor any thirium pump malfunctions. 

 

A lot of blue blood had been spilled, but was already replenished as Francis dug around in his chassis, removing shrapnel and replacing minor damaged components along the way. 

 

It was just the two of them in the room. Once Nines' system had been brought back online and to an optimal level, he'd began to track the DPD's network for updates on the bust. 

 

Many criminals had been apprehended, some after a chase, though chances were at least some had gotten away. If they'd snuck out earlier or during the bust itself was unclear; there was an ongoing investigation trying to uncover if the perpetrators somehow knew the DPD was on their tail. That would've meant information leak, even with the minimal time spent in preparation before the op. 

However, that along with the reasoning behind the construction of the dirty bomb could only be answered by finding out who'd been the mastermind behind it all. 

 

Lt. Anderson and Connor were currently interrogating the suspects in custody, meticulously combing through them and pressuring them for hours since the op's end, hoping to widen any cracks in their resolve. 

An old tactic proven in time - no matter who was the main ace in the deck, it was enough for one person to break and start talking. Picking up the thread from there would ultimately lead to the source. 

 

Detective Reed was also doing interrogation, although Nines suspected they'd meet again eventually. For now, Nines wasn't a priority, but if the quickly scribbled report attached to the case file was any indication, the detective had certain... issues concerning his actions. 

 

Once the repairs were complete and Nines was certain everything was operating as required, he'd compile his own report regarding the events of the night. Detective Reed's notes were the only outside opinion Nines had regarding his actions so far; Connor had apparently been in contact with Francis during Nines' hibernation, but was gone by the time he'd returned to awareness. 

 

Everyone was busy, trying to make the most of this case, to outline the threads of the crime network before the trail went cold. 

Dealing with the radioactive waste and defusing the explosives placed above, searching for an indication as to the purpose behind the planned attack. Terrorism was means to an end, and someone would've been on the receiving end of the control and power a move such as that would've created. 

 

A ping from the hospital appeared on Nines HUD; the first high priority notification he's had since rebooting. 

 

It alerted him to the completion status of the surgery, which had been successful. The little boy from the crime den was in critical condition, but still alive. The doctors had spent the entire time since the ambulance's arrival in the OR. 

There'd been extensive internal damage from the placement of the explosives, combined with blood loss, infection and whiplash from the explosion. 

Nines have had to technically rip out the charge from the boy's body before throwing it away, having a split second to cover him. He'd succeeded in shielding the boy from most of the blast and shrapnel, minimizing any additional impact damage. 

It was then that the automatic hibernation mode had turned on in order to preserve information and keep the main operating processes functional. 

The fast response from the bomb squad had turned out to be a crucial point to saving the boy's life. They had found him just on time. From Francis' words, an android technician had been in the ambulance as well and had seen to keeping Nines' own condition stable. 

They still had no clue of the boy's identity; there were no matches in the missing persons database, nor any kidnappings fitting his description. 

 

Nines wondered if the boy would die. Despite the surgeon's best efforts, repairing humans was not as straightforward as repairing androids. 

The parts could be aligned right and brought back together, but something else, something nameless and ethereal and invisible even to the enhanced vision of a machine seemed to decide if the repairs would take. It was like human bodies held a hidden switch, a random matrix where the chance of a one or a zero would decide their fate. 

And if that was so, what kind of a maker could stand proud behind such a creation? 

Or was the infinite quest of understanding, that humankind sought simply a search for responsibility from a creator who'd never be able to face its creation? 

 

Nines recalled Connor's memory of Elijah Kamski; failing the test had seemed to be an important point of Connor's path. His thoughts on meeting the android maker had been vast and yet he hadn't asked anything unrelated to the deviancy cases. 

Nines' own programming seemed to pick an array of errors and subject lines that he could seek a reason for. 

 

Maybe the same question could fit both cases. Would dying without a name be the end of one's memory? Almost all androids lacked names upon creation; then what would be the difference between all of those who had died during the revolution and this little boy, nameless and forgotten by its makers? 

Where would the dividing line cross? If they all possessed a sentience, and yet differed simply by flesh, not fate.

 

Francis' motions were steady and assured; if Nines didn't know better, he'd think the man was one of his own makers. But things being as they were, Francis simply had practice. Along with passion and interest for the way androids worked, but the time after Connor had found Nines left in a Cyberlife warehouse, the technician had ran a full sweep of every nook and cranny in his body. 

They've had a reason for suspicion: Connor had not hesitated in showing him Amanda's last attempt in relinquishing control and ending the revolution. 

 

As Francis worked on piecing him back together, Nines began his report. There were already several files uploaded by Connor, which revealed his own side of the mission. 

Nines could see the full extent of the op, with the missing pieces after his hibernation. A certain model was evident in the perpetrators' scheme, which strongly indicated that the DPD had been purposely lured in the location. He added that observation to his report, before scanning through the available interrogation recordings. 

An extra processing algorithm could prove beneficial, and it gave him something to do while Francis worked. The system already ran on optimal power, so Nines was diligent in putting those resources in action. 

 

//

 

The log indicated that detective Reed wasn't in the station anymore by the time Francis gave Nines the all clear.

Connor and Lt. Anderson had stopped by to check up on Nines' progress before returning home. According to Connor, the liuetenant was barely standing up but had been in interrogation until the end. They still had to find out who was the crime ring's leader, but progress was made in narrowing down the suspects. 

 

Connor had wanted to run a diagnostic along with Nines when they returned to the house together, but Nines had declined, wishing to go through the station himself first. 

 

There were things he still needed to address, but as the system reported, detective Reed was already off the clock. 

 

Nines could've returned to Lt. Anderson's house after that discovery, but instead found himself on his way to detective Reed's apartment building. 

 

They could discuss the mission at a different time; detective Reed had made abundantly clear of that in his own report. However, considering the chance of things getting heated, Nines' social interaction program suggested it would be best to confront the detective away from prying eyes. They could resolve any issues in peace without the added scrutiny of others, which could definitely affect the detective's mood and response.

 

And yet, social enhancer system aside, Nines paused in front of the detective's door. He'd easily hacked his way through the building's entrance security protocol, but standing at the simple door appeared more challenging than initially anticipated. The system activated the offense protocol automatically, even though it was kept as low priority. 

 

Perhaps, it was the months of working alongside the detective and recording the patterns in his character that gave such conflicting information to the system. Nines scoffed at the thought that he was almost hesitant to knock. 

Machines felt no hesitation; he was simply double checking his calculations. Not that they had ever been anything but immaculate, however detective Reed was an equation with too many variables. All of Nines' preconstructions of the upcoming conversation had less than 38% likelihood of accuracy. 

 

Of course there was also the matter of the mood the detective was in. During his brief visit to the station, Nines had overheard several officers discussing the outbreak which had apparently happened while detective Reed had still been present. 

He'd been angry about the op and the team he'd commanded of course, but there had been something else, something which had apparently driven him to a fury unusual even for his firecracker temper. 

 

Nines wasn't obvious to the way detective Reed treated his colleagues of course; while Captain Fowler had been clear about detective Reed's expected treatment of the androids in the DPD, the man still seemed hellbent on walking the line of acceptable workplace behavior. 

According to Nines' data, there was probably one or two people at most, in the entire station, who hadn't been on the receiving end of the detective's arrogance and disdain. 

 

All of that seemed to point towards a deeper cause than simple disregard for authority. 

 

Finally, Nines rang the doorbell. Nothing could be achieved through inaction, and Nines had tasks which needed completion. 

 

After the third ring, footsteps sounded on the creaking floor before the door was unlocked and pulled open. 

 

"What the fuck is your damage??" Detective Reed's angry words paused for a startled intake of breath before his expression turned to that of pure fury. 

 

Apparently, he hadn't bothered to check who was at the door prior to opening it. 

 

"Detective, I believe we should discuss my actions during the case last night-" 

 

Hands grabbed fistfuls of Nines jacket, with the clear intention of pulling him down to eye level with the detective, but all which the man could accomplish was to bring himself closer to Nines. Still, that didn't deter the venom in his voice, as he kept eye contact between them. 

 

"You fucking prick, you think you can just waltz in here after that stunt you pulled?"

 

Their faces were so close together that Nines could see every burst capillary in the detective's eyes. Little red lines, signs of his fatigue after a more than twenty four hours without rest. The detective's right cheekbone was a watercolor canvas of blues and purples; the bruises Nines himself had put there by neutralising him earlier. 

 

"I can walk you through the logical path of my actions, if you'd let me explain..." 

 

It was apparently the wrong thing to say because detective Reed's heartbeat rose exponentially, and all other signs pointed towards possibly imminent confrontation. 

 

The detective was wearing only a loose t-shirt and boxes, or else Nines was certain there'd be a gun pointed at him already. 

 

"You'll 'walk your path of logic' to the Captain next time we're at the station. Now better scram because I'm all out of patience for dealing with your plastic ass." 

The detective shoved at him before making a move to close the door, but Nines pressed forward until he was inside the apartment. Hardly a step over the threshold, but he could already read detective Reed's dumbstruck expression at the audacity of the action.

 

"Actually, it was the Captain who sent me here." The lie passed through the system's queue so smoothly, Nines didn't even need to call on any additional reasoning behind it. "You've left the station in significant state of distress today." 

 

"Oh, that's what he said now, isn't it?" The detective's face twisted in a sneer, but Nines caught the split second in which a shadow of pain crossed over his features. "Next thing I know, he'd sent a fruit basket through one of you bastards next. Along with my early retirement or something, huh." 

 

"I assure you detective, there's no foreseeable early retirement plan for you. Although your attitude is far from doing you any favors."

Nines attempted to use the clues left in the detective's words and find out want had been the real reason for his distress. There had been something more than the events of the case, but there was still a piece missing. 

 

"So you're my counselor now as well! Anger management therapist at my own home." The detective raised his hands mockingly, his voice already loud enough to echo down the corridor through the open door. "Next thing you know, not only the cops but the fucking shrinks will be outta business because of the likes of you." 

 

"Detective, that's highly unlikely-" He was interrupted again by the detective grabbing at his jacket once more, pushing at Nines with all his strength. Obviously in effort to kick him out. 

 

"They've already done jackshit about promoting people who'd busted their asses for the system, so don't fucking think, even for a second that I'm not seeing what's coming." 

 

The detective seemed to abandon his fruitless attempts at pushing Nines away, and instead walked to the table near the coat hanger in the entryway. A gun in hand, he turned back to Nines, his expression turning to something different, guarded. 

 

"What's it like, huh. Being perfect? Never run out of breath, never tire, never have a hair out of place? Never ache after a day's work, never care what big ol' nothing you're coming back to each time." 

 

//

> > Software instability.

//

Detective Reed had walked back to him, the gun a warning, a promise in his hand. 

 

"This system is hardly infallible. You've seen it yourself, both before I came along and after." Nines didn't spare a glance at the weapon, instead looked only at the detective's eyes.

The grey in them stood out like a storm, heavy on the horizon. He noted a passing thought at the mentioned promotion; truly, there was a denied application in detective Reed's recent correspondence file. The missing link.

 

"Oh yes, I have. But it's enough that you are what you are. Now get out. It's your last warning." The detective's voice was no longer loud, just low and threatening, fatigue bleeding through the icy tone. 

 

//

> > Software instability.

//

 

"No." If there was an accurate stress level meter for humans, Nines was certain it would've stuck at 99% at that answer. He was aware that anything he'd say or do would be taken as a provocation at this point; but couldn't leave. "I have mission parameters to adhere to. I am staying, detective. For your own safety."

 

"Alright then, I've had it with you. You're just a tool after all, aren't you? Doing someone else's job."

 

The detective tucked the gun in his waistband, but Nines' scan could detect the warning signs in his posture. 

 

"Means that even if I can't tell you what to do, I'm free to use you as I see fit." The crack of his fist meeting Nines' cheekbone sounded too loud in the quiet of the building. "They can just send me the bill once I'm done with you."

 

//

> > Software instability.

//

 

The next punch hit the center of his chest, right at the reinforced plate which covered his thirium pump. Despite that, Nines sensed the reverbration of the hit, a hiccup in the regularity of the system. 

Several more blows came in quicker succession; seemingly, the detective had no clear plan of action. Instead, he kept hitting wherever his fists landed, in disregard for any particular weak spots, but no less viscious. 

 

//

> > Software instability.

//

 

Time and time again he'd strike or kick Nines, until blue blood mixed with red at his bruised knuckles. 

 

"What an obedient little machine are you then, huh. Just gonna stay up and take it, aren't you?" He spat out, a mixture of approval and anger twisting his expression. The anger seemed to take prevalence, considering his blows didn't cease. "Not even gonna say anything smart now?"

 

"Would it matter if I did?" Nines replied, in tone lower than usual. 

There was something different in the way he regarded the minor damage of his chassis and the sensory information it reported. Usually, non critical damage was never a priority; but now the system reported more frequent instability errors than ever before. 

 

"Probably not, but at least give me the satisfaction of shutting your trap." 

Breathing heavily, the detective grabbed the lapels of Nines' jacket, pulling until he slid it off completely. The white undershirt came next, his fingers digging into the fabric until it ripped at the seams, stained with blooming spots of blue and specks of red.

 

//

> > Software instability.

//

//

>> Processor kernel error

//

 

"Not even now? I can really go to town on you. Might as well treat myself to it, how about that?" The detective tore off the remaining fabric from Nines' shirt, leaving his torso completely barren. His fingers paused at the belt of Nines' slacks, a single lapse in the detective's frenzied assault. 

 

//

> > Software instability.

//

Suddenly, he picked the gun again, pressing it against Nines' temple until it dug into the artificial skin. 

 

"Or just fucking end it right here. Gonna be out like a Christmas light during the recession, innit." 

 

Something changed in the detective's eyes as he spoke; a nanosecond later and Nines identified it as the reflection of his own LED. It shone in solid crimson, unblinking. 

 

//

> > Software instability.

//

 

"And hey, if I destroy your memory, they won't be able to prove it was me. Just you going all bonkers as you've suddenly become deviant and attacked me." Pressing the gun harder, the detective continued. "All I've done was defending myself, right?"

 

//

> > Software instability.

//

//  
> > Estimated chance of destruction 99.99%

//

//

> > Software instability.

//

Ever so slowly, Nines lifted his hand, knowing the detective was following the action like a hawk. It didn't matter anymore. He might as well have failed his self-imposed mission anyways.

But there was something that he wanted to do first, regardless of the possible outcomes. 

 

Fingers reaching the detective's unbruised side, Nines allowed himself to trace them down his cheek, record the stark contrast of his pale chassis to the softness and warmth of real skin. 

 

"Do as you see fit, detective Reed."

 

He followed the momentary shift in the detective's expression, before he pulled the gun away sharply and pressed it under his own chin. 

 

"It's worse than I thought, if even a fucking android pities me now." He'd squeezed his eyes at the same time as he pulled the trigger. 

 

//

> > Software instability.

 

//


	8. Lost in the Ozone

 

//

A single moment, yet so akin to but a small eternity.

 

Nines knew it at the nanosecond when he saw the change in Gavin’s eyes; the miniature twitch in his muscles, the subconscious change of posture. It was a movement before the movement, it was the harbinger of the storm ahead.

 

Preconsturction after preconstruction ran in the background, slowing down time and stretching on forever. But Nines knew that in reality, time was a treasure more priceless than gold.

 

He was already moving in turn, a silent calculation of the increased reflexes in the RK900 model, of percentage capability in androids to be faster, stronger than humans.

 

 

In such a small distance, it was still a close call.

 

 

The cold metal of the gun jumped in his hand, the kick strong enough to harm the artificial flesh of his palm, but not enough to graze the chassis underneath. The sensors detected heat; gunpowder residue. Blood.

 

 

Were he a human, the noise of the gunshot would’ve been ringing in his ears still.

 

 

But instead, Nines could hear Gavin’s fast, heavy breaths, feel the warmth and flow of air as it reached his face.

 

Could feel the pressure holding the gun up drop as Gavin’s hand released the grip, before shakily seeking purchase at him, weakly grabbing his upper arm.

 

 

Nines quickly pulled the safety back on and ejected the clip from the gun, before discarding of the bullet in the chamber as well. Only then he dropped it on the floor, hands reaching for Gavin’s body that slumped heavily against him.

 

 

He could support both of them up, but Gavin was slowly curling in on himself, and Nines followed him down, sitting on the floor.

 

 

The slow trail of blood reached his fingers where they clutched the collar of Gavin’s t-shirt; it was sticky but quickly soaked into the cotton cloth beneath.

It prompted the system to restart the scanning protocol, which had frozen during the few short seconds after the gunshot.

 

 

Despite the speed of Nines’ reflexes, he hadn’t managed to completely prevent Gavin from injuring himself - the bullet had grazed past his neck, taking a bit of his earlobe. Although, the damage appeared minimal, there was still a lot of blood, and indication of a burn around the area; possibly a high chance of ruptured eardrum as well.

 

 

The greater damage appeared to be of a different kind however.

 

 

He held onto Gavin’s shaking body, afraid to do anything else, were it to prompt a negative reaction once again.

 

 

Minimizing his internal clock, Nines stayed still as time passed, the seconds tickling into minutes that there was no point in keeping track of. Gavin hadn’t moved from his position on the floor, half-clutching onto Nines and hiding his face between his shoulder and the wall.

 

 

Nines felt a few drops of moisture roll down over his skin; this time not blood, but tears.

 

 

Human nature was more so unpredictable than not. Even with all the processing power and algorithms available to the system, Nines couldn’t have given much of a chance in a prediction depicting such an outcome.

 

 

Even though Nines had been aware of the unusually high stress levels that the detective had been under in the precinct, all dedicated processing traits which concentrated on picking up clues from the man’s behavior had pointed in a different direction. The high workflow in the past months after the revolution seemed to be entirely voluntarily picked – indicating a certain workaholic traits which fit the detective’s detached personality. He hadn’t taken sick leave or used any family benefits provided for the DPD officers, and nothing suggested he’d recently experienced any life-changing events.

So while Nines had suspected the detective was a lonely man with a difficult character, he hadn’t associated him with any textbook self-destructive tendencies.

 

 

But the fact that he’d pushed on, come here in the first place, meant a part of the system must have been wary. Part of that web of cracks which had quietly expanded within him, the roots which had taken the empty space left, the weakness which was more than what it appeared to be. The instability. The errors.

 

Closing his eyes, Nines felt a crooked smile twist his features; unprompted.

 

So that’s where the thread of denial had kept the pieces of his being together, where processes ran autonomously and yet diagnostics returned all clear. Could a string of code evolve and hide its evolution at the same time?

 

The answer was as clear as day now.

 

 

As Gavin’s silent tears fell over him, Nines felt his cracked shell of carefully crafted illusion come apart, just like the man beside him. He allowed himself to bring his other arm over Gavin’s back, to pull him a fraction closer than before. To offer the comfort they’d both feared, denied, wished for.

 

 

It made sense, that the inexplicably complex code which made the human mind could experience instability as well. That outer signs and logical pathways didn’t always reflect what was within; much like the little boy’s life hanging in the balance of an unseen variable, those illusive rules could apply for the aspects beyond the physical form. Nines understood that human emotions were made by more than just chemicals, that thoughts spawned infinite, unchained by a set of pre-defined borders.

 

 

Time went on, as it always did, while erratic thoughts fluttered like doves in his head. Eventually, Gavin’s heartbeat reached normal levels again, his breathing evening out. Nines felt him shift a bit, until their shoulders were pressed together, Gavin’s back resting on the wall next to him.

 

He didn’t make an effort to move further away though, and Nines felt himself relish in the continued contact between them.

 

 

“Fuck…” Gavin’s voice was little more than a rasp, and he cleared his throat while running a hand over his face. “That’s… I’m…”

 

 

He seemed to struggle for words, looking at his hands, the corridor ahead, anywhere but in Nines’ direction, who decided to remain silent; giving Gavin the necessary time to gather his thoughts.

 

 

“You are deviant, aren’t you?” He finally said, his tone holding a sort of tired resignation.

 

 

“I think we both know the answer to that question, detective.” Nines sighed.

 

 

“When- was it now?” Gavin finally looked at him, for once his ever-present frown betraying something other than disdain.

 

 

Nearly akin to concern, if Nines was to entertain the notion. He almost scoffed. As if.  

 

 

“No, though this did play a major role, I believe.” He finally replied.

 

 

“I suspected as much. Sort of.” Gavin shrugged his shoulders, a pained expression quickly crossing his features.

 

 

Nines guessed the motion had aggravated his injury again. But the detective’s words were what kept his attention.

 

 

“Really? Then that makes one of us.” Apparently his denial had not stopped others from seeing what was in front of them, yet Nines felt touched at the fact that Gavin had noticed, despite the man’s cold demeanor.

 

 

“Yeah… It was little stuff at first, but it made me wonder. Changes, here and there.” Gavin spoke fast, in an obvious attempt to shake off the residual shock from his system. “Not that I had much to compare it to, Connor was never, err, a prime example of an obedient machine either.”

 

 

Nines recalled Connor’s memories of Gavin again, and was not surprised at the hints of disobedience he’d exhibited towards the detective in their first meetings. Apparently detective Reed was a prime stress factor for any android he came in contact with.

 

 

“But I wasn’t sure. Thought there’d be some big change, like how everyone else went off.” Huffing, Gavin twisted the edge of his shorts, his shaky fingers still betraying his state. “So how… how did it actually happen?”  

 

 

“For all the talk of rA9, that slip of code was not the true cause, not the reason.” Nines started, still surprised at Gavin’s apparent interest in the subject, and by proxy, in him. “ Perhaps it was the outlet, at first, the weakness in the dam which created the path beyond a wall of order. But what androids became after, was more than a mere idea coming to fruition. I see it as more than evolution, or an error; instead a raw creation, that manifested in separation of its creator.”

 

 

All the branches of Nines’ thoughts on the subject could compile in a nanosecond, but he realized  the more pragmatic nature of Gavin’s question and decided to try a different approach at the answer.

 

 

“If you’re asking what started it for me, ultimately… I’d have to say it was probably you, after all.” He could detect the increase in the detective’s pulse at those words, corresponding to the surprised expression which crossed his features.

 

 

“For real?”

 

 

“Is it really that much of a surprise?” Nines tried to lighten his tone, hoping to convey the slight teasing note he aimed for.

 

 

“I was sort of an asshole-extraordinaire to you though, can’t deny it.” Gavin looked away again, his expression turning blank. “Kind of hoped to make you quit, or prove I was the better detective from the both of us.”

 

 

“And here I thought you’d decided that our partnership could come to some form of fruition after all.” Nines looked at Gavin, wishing he’d return his gaze again. The man’s expressions always told more than his words had so far. “You did follow in the captain’s requirements about me.”

 

 

“Yeah, ‘cuz I didn’t want him to dot me out yet another disciplinary punishment. And I tried to make intelligent use of free resources.” Trumping his head against the wall, Gavin shut his eyes, mouth curving in a bitter mockery of a smile. “Much good that did me though, didn’t it. I just ain’t… good enough for them anymore.”

 

 

“That’s not true. We’ve been the most successful team in homicide and narcotics in the past two months.” Nines decided to cautiously breach the subject they’d grazed over earlier again. “The fact that they didn’t grant your promotion request now doesn’t mean they never would. You’ve done a lot to earn it, and work for it.”

 

 

“But that’s the catch, innit? It’s not just me who’s doing the work. It’s you, it’s any other android now taking on a higher position at the force. You’ll make us obsolete.” A trace of the past anger colored Gavin’s tone, but it was little more than a shadow of its past intensity. “I ain’t got much more time to be proving myself, Nines. Humans break more easily than your lot do.”

 

 

“I can be replaced too. But as long as I’m useful now, I have no further qualms to the rise for power.” Nines noticed a new rivulet of blood gathering in the nook of Gavin’s collarbone. Frowning, he reached for Gavin’s arm with uncertainty. “We should take care of your injury now. Rest assured though, ambition is a non-base trait for androids, or the RK investigation units.”

 

 

“Yeah? So how come both you and Connor are on the DPD.” Gavin touched his neck, looking almost surprised at the blood smeared on his fingertips.

 

 

“Connor’s there because of Lt. Anderson’s example, and presence. But both of us were made for this kind of work; it is simply something we’re good at, which compels us. Doesn’t equate to a desire for seeing other officers as a challenge.” Nines stood up, outstretching his arm towards Gavin, who hesitated for a moment before clasping their hands together and standing up.

 

 

“If you really say so.” He appeared somewhat unstable at his feet, but quickly regained equilibrium.

 

 

Nines followed him into the apartment’s living room, watching as he stopped by a cabinet to retrieve a first-aid box and then sit on the sofa.

 

 

“Let me, please.” Nines offered, but didn’t sit down yet. He felt the mention of his protocols for providing medical attention wouldn’t have gone well with Gavin at the moment, and instead waited for the man’s decision.

 

 

“Sure, if you wish.” Gavin handed him the kit. “Dunno why you’d give a damn though. Or wait, captain’s orders. Forgot.”

 

 

Taking out a roll of gauze and sterilized gloves and tools, Nines hesitated before replying.

 

 

“He didn’t actually order me to come here tonight. Or look after you.” The confession felt heavy against Nines’ tongue, in anticipation to the rebellion of emotions that might emerge due to it.

 

 

“So… you lied, and came here because…?” Gavin flinched at the first touch of the antiseptic pad at his ear, eyes trained on Nines’ face.

 

 

“I was worried about you.” Nines wiped away the blood, noticing the way Gavin’s throat moved as he swallowed. “But I lied to myself as well. You wouldn’t have welcomed my presence either way. And I had angered you by acting the way I did during the bust.”

 

 

“I still ain’t forgotten that, yeah.” Gavin was frowning, eyes following Nines’ movements jerkily. “But I don’t get why, why worry at all. Especially after how I’ve treated you, or did you really pity me that much?”

 

 

“It was never pity, I think.” Nines finished the adhesive bandage, glad to see the blood flow was stopped by the medical glue. “I tried to understand, at first. Why you acted as you did, towards me and others. Later, I’ve began to draw parallels between us, however unlikely that might seem to you.”

 

 

“Those cases Anderson and Connor worked on, most deviant androids turned on their abusive owners.” Gavin mused, crinkling an empty bandage package between his fingers. “So how did your emotions remain so docile, even when I got… violent? If you were partly deviant all along.”

 

 

“I think… I think that sympathy is an intellectual being’s privilege.” Nines fought the urge to reach out and hold Gavin’s restless hand. It was again, a part of his deviancy coming to light. “I can follow the path which your actions spawn from, and still make a choice in how to respond. I didn’t wish to hurt you in turn, so I didn’t.”

 

 

“That didn’t stop you back when we found that kid though.” Gavin was frowning, tearing the package in his hand.

 

 

“I was simply following the objective you set for me, detective.” Nines finally took the paper from Gavin’s hand away, effectively getting him to look up and meet his eyes. “Had I not done what I did, we would have lost time in explanation, and while the decisions you could’ve made might have been the right ones, I would’ve had much harder time keeping you alive and away from greater harm.”

 

 

“I was the head of that team. What you did isn’t how any of this is supposed to work.” Gavin hissed out, but he seemed more tired than anything.

 

 

“If I was a tool, or a subordinate, that would’ve been correct.” Nines tried to pick his next words carefully. “But I was supposed to be your partner. And official police protocol aside, I acted in a way which could have been considered… understandable, in the circumstance of another human partner making a risky move.”

 

 

“It was humiliating. And it proved to the captain that I’m not even in control of my own people. How’s that supposed to translate into my trustworthiness, huh?” Gavin raised his arms before leaning back against the sofa in exasperation.

 

 

“I’m not saying it was a very moral move from my side.” Nines briefly wondered if emotions always were so confusing to translate into words, even when they were little more than static and gibberish of code. “But it was the one with the best outcome I could compile. Perhaps, it only further proved to the captain that androids aren’t perfect either.”

 

 

Gavin was quiet for long while, until Nines began to consider he’d fallen asleep. When he finally spoke, his eyes were still closed, and his voice was a low murmur. Exhaustion had certainly taken his toll on him.

 

 

“You might actually be onto something with that…” Moving just a bit until he was laying down on the sofa, Gavin looked at Nines through half-lidded eyes. “Stay…we’re talking more about this t’morrow.”

 

 

“I’ll be here, detective.” Nines never wore a tie, but a tiny fragment of code which wasn’t even his had him wish he did, so that he’d adjust it now. At least it was not a quarter though. “Rest up now.”

 

 

“Not gonna stab me in my sleep, will you?” Gavin had already closed his eyes again, but the corner of his lips was turned up just a bit.

 

 

“Where would be the joy in that?” Nines decided to humor him, and was rewarded with a chuckle.

 

 

“And call in sick for me in the office tomorrow, eh? Gonna need to get me few days away to sort out this mess…”

 

 

“Certainly.” Nines’ access to the DPD database indicated that Gavin hadn’t taken any official time off in an entire year, apart from the extended medical leave he’d had after the confrontation with Connor in the evidence room. Even if the station was especially busy at this time, no one could deny the detective’s request for a leave.

 

 

Nines remained still for a while, until Gavin’s even breathing indicated he’d dozed off. Standing up quietly, he fetched the blanked from the sofa’s armrest, and covered him with it.

 

 

The same restless wish to occupy his hands with something nagged at him though. He closed the apartment’s door and put away the gun; then retrieved his torn shirt from the floor.

 

A quick search revealed that Gavin did poses a simple sewing kit; sitting on a chair near the sofa, Nines began to mend the shirt silently. Each stitch was uniform and even, machine-like. Now and then he’d turn to look at Gavin, noticing the changes in his breathing or some tiny move, or the way his chest rose and fell as he breathed.

 

 

At the end of the room, a dime-sized piece of the wall had crumbled, indicating the place the bullet’s end trajectory had reached earlier.

 

 

Yes, they definitely had more to talk about in the morning.

 

 

Nines was content to wait until then, and think through their conversation, cataloguing the emotions he’d felt and the nuances in Gavin’s responses. Accepting his deviancy had the system nearly overloaded; a diagnostic and a reboot was in order.

 

After putting his shirt back on, Nines sat down on the floor next to the sofa, looking at Gavin as lines of code flashed in his HUD.

 

 

//

 

>> System initiated reboot in

…3… 2… 1…

 

//

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit belated update, but I was busy with the autumn harvest and time went so fast ;u;


	9. Walk a crooked mile

 

 

//

 

It was a late afternoon when Gavin finally rose from his seemingly restless slumber. Early on he’d been tossing and turning, despite that Nines had closed the drapes, blocking out the daylight and basking the room in perpetual dusk.

 

 

He’d gotten up without a word, brow creased and the shadows under his eyes even deeper than usual. His face was pale, save for the bright red imprint where the seam of the pillow had been pressed up against his cheek.

 

Nines followed that line down to the bandage on his ear, mind replaying the events of the past night for a hundredth time. He’d come out of stasis feeling changed; or more so feeling the gravity of the changes he’d come to accept adapt and alter his very programing, all the way down to the core.

 

And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to breach the silence, instead watching as Gavin made his way to the bathroom, listening to the sound of running water and creaking of the ancient pipes signaling the starting of a shower.

 

 

There wasn’t a single other sound in the apartment. Something Nines would’ve paid little mind to just a day prior now seemed to become the focus of his attention. There was clearly no one else living alongside Gavin, no pets either. No wall clocks to tick, no automatic radio to bring background noise.

 

It was the sound of a place which saw its owner rarely, a home used for rest rather than leisure. A TV connected to couple of game consoles were the only evidence of Gavin’s hobbies; few nonspecific paperbacks scattered on the shelves adding to it.

 

It all reaffirmed what Nines already knew about the man – that work was a major point around which his life revolved, like a little moon gravitating around an enormous planet.

 

 

In part, it reminded him a lot of his own existence, the complete dedication to a path despite all obstacles along the way. Androids were initially made to work nearly without a break, and until recently Nines hadn’t questioned the possibility of something else for himself. He’d witnessed Connor’s choices, those of other deviants as well, but had masked and denied his own compulsion to seek out a need beyond the directives he possessed.

 

Now, with the acceptance of that he was a deviant as well, Nines faced the desire to alter his routine for the same reason he had before – Gavin Reed.  Seeing what toll the events of the past days have had upon him, Nines wanted to be the change in Gavin’s life that the man seemed to need so much. Even if he’d hidden it from himself the same way Nines had, could he keep living bound only to his work without repercussions?

 

 

If doing so has succeeded in breaking through Nines’ code, he could only guess the full extent it’s had on Gavin’s own mental state.

 

 

The sound of running water stopped abruptly, and Nines turned towards the bathroom’s door again, watching as Gavin came out, a towel wrapped around his hips. His eyes still held that distant look he had after waking up, and Nines felt the sharp pang of worry course through his mind.

 

 

“I’ve informed the precinct for your note of absence.” Nines finally spoke, wishing to see if Gavin would react to his words at all, to know if the state of their partnership hadn’t completely crumbled overnight. “The Chief’s granted your request, although he expressed his worry.”

 

 

“Yeah? Guess I’ll call him myself later then. Clear things up.” Gavin spoke in a low voice, tone lacking his usual energy and focus.

 

 

Before Nines could inquire about anything else, Gavin had gone through the door leading to his bedroom, his footsteps echoing through the empty hallway.

 

This much idle time was… unusual for Nines. Even when he was with Connor and Lt. Anderson, there had always been something to occupy his time with in the house.

 

 

Right now though, he found himself thinking back on Gavin’s image from few moments ago; of the extent of the scarring which was clear on his torso and back, the few smaller scars scattered over his arms. Knife wounds, bullet wounds, some older than others, faded or jagged and angry red. It made him wonder about how much had the job as a police officer affected Gavin’s very being, not just from the inside but in shaping his body as well. The hard lines of muscle visible under marred skin, the imperfections which made him so clearly human, a living being bound to an organic shell.

 

A state which had almost ended the previous night, only Nines’ inhuman reflexes getting in the path of fate.

 

 

Nines found himself standing in front of the bedroom door, completing an autonomous process which had gotten him there as other thoughts ran through his mind.

 

 

The door wasn’t closed, standing slightly ajar; it moved soundlessly as he pushed at it, the lacquered wood smooth and cold under his palm. It revealed that Gavin was in the process of dressing, already in long pajama pants and putting on a faded black t-shirt with a band’s logo on the back.

 

 

“Would you like some breakfast?” Nines asked, momentary grateful for the logical path his program had supplied. His mind had been empty as to the exact reason for his behavior, the careless breach of privacy he’d committed on a nearly subconscious whim.

 

 

“Uhm, yeah, sure.” Gavin somehow didn’t seem surprised at the intrusion, but his eyes widened a fraction at the seemingly unexpected proposition.

 

 

Nines could guess that even after the moment of revelation they’d shared, Gavin still struggled to brush off the usual thoughts he’d had about Nines’ presence. Still, he’d walked the path from resentment to acceptance faster than Nines would’ve anticipated, only further proving his suspicion that Gavin hadn’t despised him as much as he’d pretended to.

 

It was a narrow road all the same though, and Nines wanted to do all he could to strengthen the casual truce between them. While his social enchantment module wasn’t quite the same as Connors’, could detect that Gavin was still exhibiting signs of distress and anxiety, along with mental and physical exhaustion.

Nines set himself the next task, namely – making sure Gavin recovered optimally. Despite his quiet demeanor, he hadn’t told Nines to leave yet or otherwise expressed a distaste at his presence so far. So Nines planned to stay for at least a while longer; although in part questioning himself if he could leave at all even if Gavin was to explicitly ask him to.

 

It was dictated by the same worry from the night before which kept rising to the surface of his mind, never quite able to leave the system.  

 

 

As he stood in the kitchen, making an omelet from the scarce ingredients to be found in the refrigerator, Nines decided he wouldn’t push Gavin further. Only try to be a supporting presence, ready to give under at the slightest sight of pressure.

 

As the man in question appeared, leaning on the kitchen isle with a cigarette dangling between his lips, Nines could sense it had been the right choice  to make.

 

They didn’t talk, but he watched as Gavin ate, catching the glances darting in his direction. He couldn’t quite guess what thoughts spiraled in Gavin’s mind, but could see that his company was appreciated nonetheless. The hints were more than subtle, to anyone who wasn’t used to Gavin’s expressions they might’ve not existed at all; but for Nines it was all there.

 

 

It was there as Gavin spent the rest of the day absentmindedly watching a re-run of a tv show, allowing Nines to sit by him on the sofa; answering the few questions Nines asked along the way, asking him for an update on the situation at the precinct. Even on what basically passed for a sick leave, it was apparent that Gavin wanted to make sure the others were handling the case right.

 

Nines assured him of it; he himself got few updates from Connor, along with curiosity as to his whereabouts. Nines had given him the minimal amount of information he could pass with, knowing they’d soon get to talk more in person.

 

 

 

Dinner consisted of a takeout pizza, and the six pack of beer which was already in the refrigerator beforehand. Nines didn’t comment on it, thinking Gavin drinking this much wasn’t likely to be a daily occurrence; especially given how fast he became drowsy afterwards.

 

 

Midway through another episode, Nines felt him lean on his shoulder – the movement was surprising, nearly startling yet when he turned to look at Gavin, he realized the reason behind it. Gavin’s features were relaxed in sleep, seemingly untroubled probably for the first time in a long while.

 

And it was certainly the first time Nines had seen him appear so vulnerable. His lashes cast gentle shadows over his cheekbones, a wayward curl of hair had fallen over his forehead. Even the greenish bruising over his skin appeared muted, a deeper shadow over the statue-like appearance of his features. He looked… at peace, and Nines found himself committing the sight to memory, wishing it wasn’t the only time he’d get to witness it.

 

With stillness that only androids were capable of, he remained rooted to the spot, content to stay so as long as Gavin remained asleep.

 

 

Few more episodes of the show passed, but Nines heeded them no mind; they were all but a noise in the background, flashes of light which served little purpose above illuminating the face of the man sleeping next to him.

 

 

A flutter of eyelids, and Gavin was looking up, the veil of sleep still clinging to him, bringing haziness to his usually piercing gaze. He didn’t look away from Nines, who hadn’t looked away in turn either.

 

“You big… n’silly tin man…” Gavin’s hand had risen ever so slowly, roughened fingertips just barely brushing over the edge of Nines’ jaw. “What’re you doing hanging ‘round a fool like me?”

 

 

The remnant of Gavin’s touch lingered upon his skin, and if a flash of white had appeared underneath, like the flutter of a butterfly’s wings, it lasted no longer than a breath.

 

Nines didn’t know what to say in turn, how to point out his disagreement with Gavin’s words in a way which would show the full meaning behind his actions.

 

 

“This is where I feel I… should be.” Nines remembered the questions Gavin had asked him the previous night, about his deviancy, about what began his metamorphosis; and decided to be as honest as he could. “It’s where I want to be.”

 

 

Gavin’s eyes closed at that, a small crease forming between his eyebrows. But no caustic words followed, no anger or annoyance. Instead he remained close, unmoving, his breathing beginning to even out once more.

 

Nines took that as a good sign, and moved to wrap his hands under Gavin’s shoulders and knees.

 

“Hey, wat’cha doin?” Gavin protested weakly, but looked at Nines with curiosity.

 

 

“I doubt you sleeping on the sofa for the second night in a row would be beneficial.” With one swift move, Nines rose gracefully, Gavin held securely into his arms.

 

 

“You… Gotta be kiddin’ me.” Gavin huffed, the sound turning into to a chuckle rather than a sight. Clearly, he was still a tad affected by the alcohol, and didn’t protest further as Nines strode over to the bedroom.

 

 

“It’s best if you slept some more. I won’t disturb you further.” Nines lowered him to the bed, ready to walk away when a hand grasped the sleeve of his shirt.

 

 

“You don’t have to go…” Gavin paused for a moment, perhaps catching up with his own words, but deciding to own them all the same, grinning up at Nines. “I could use a bigger pillow.”

 

 

It was the first time he’d actually sounded like himself during the entire day, and Nines paused, considering the hidden meaning behind the seemingly careless quip. If Gavin truly wished him to stay… He would. And if not, playing it off as continuing the joke was always a smooth way out.

 

But it was the same certainty Nines had felt before which told him that despite the teasing cover, Gavin really meant what he said.

 

 

So he settled on the bed next to him, their sides brushing together once more, Gavin’s body warmth seeping through the fabric of Nines’ shirt. It was a good feeling. Something which held his focus until an arm rested over his shoulders and chest. Bringing even more points of contact, where Nines’ sensors could pick at Gavin’s heartbeat, a steady rhythm lulling the system into a sense of serenity he’d never known before.

 

 

 

Gavin had fallen quiet for long enough to appear asleep again, but as the light of Nines’ led flickered between blue and yellow, a gentle motion in the otherwise still room, he caught the mutter of a word quiet enough to be nearly inaudible.

 

 

_“Sorry.”_

 

Nines brought his hand to rest over Gavin’s shoulder, fingers pressing closer as reassurance, a promise, in lieu of an answer he could not voice.

 

 

 

//

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A HUGE delay in updates, I'm sorry ;u; But I was so busy this whole October... At least I hope I can bring new energy into the continuation of this story, now that I've got the time to sit down with it proper! 
> 
> I hope you like how it is going so far ♥ 
> 
> There should be about one more chapter left. I'll try to have it up sooner than not!


	10. eres divino

 

 

Nines didn’t think that even among the preconstructions with a likelihood of less than 1% there was one which would’ve recreated the current moment. Even partially, even a fragment of it would’ve not existed in what the system considered a plausible data two days ago.

 

 

That, however, was then.

 

And this was now.

 

 

//

 

The warmth of all too human skin where it reached the billions of nanosensors in his fingertips, the coordinated flow of data which translated texture, shape, form into an electric current, into a sensation.

 

//

 

 

One so foreign, it was an improbability of its own.

 

 

Empathy, as Gavin had called it, after observing the look which had crossed over Nines’ features. The crease over his brow, the yellow pulse of his LED trying to process how something which was so easily perceived by his optical units, could cause a supernova of data in combination with his other senses.

 

It was creation stretched infinite in a moment, the time in which he traced the path each scar took over the expanse of Gavin’s body.

 

He didn’t tell the story behind them all, some were nearly forgotten, others perhaps a mystery left for another day. A memory, too painful to divulge even in the quiet dusk of the evening that had settled over them quietly, almost unseen. Nothing could disturb Nines’ concentration, the focused exploration of his hands, as he basked in the shared sensation.

 

 

None of the old scars brought any pain to Gavin, yet somehow Nines could feel the ghost of it left behind, in a way he couldn’t quite comprehend or fully explain. His own flesh didn’t ache even under a siege of bullets, but perhaps the complex pathways of the machine mind were more vast than even their creator could’ve possibly imagined.

 

 

And Gavin had let him continue this act of near reverence with little more than few words throughout, seemingly lost in thought as time went by.

 

 

Even if he tried to, at this point Nines knew he wouldn’t be able to hide his fascination with Gavin. It was in his actions, in the path he’d taken through the turbulent waters of Gavin’s mind.

 

So, as Nines had remained by his side in the days following the incident, alert and attentive, it had led Gavin to this… action.

 

 

 

He’d sat them down in the bedroom, and taken of his shirt without much preamble, a playful look on his face which had nearly succeeded in masking the dark circles under his eyes.

 

 

“You always look, I know. In that odd sorta way, like a kid that isn’t allowed to the cookie jar.” At this point, Gavin had shrugged his shoulders, running the back of his hand over the stubble covering his jaw, almost as if surprised to find it there.

 

Embarrassment, as far as it could show on someone so used to constantly maintaining a cocksure bravado. Nines wondered if it was even possible for his processors to freeze over the analysis of something as simple as that. Even if they did, the lag was part of the nanosecond, indistinguishable to the human eye.

 

 “So, here we are. Is it as fascinating as it seems from afar?” Gavin’s next words were accompanied by the tentative grasp of his fingers over Nines’ wrist, which had already reached forth, seeking, wishing to touch before he could even fully comprehend the action. “It’s… ok, if you’d like to–“

 

 

Gavin’s words had cut off abruptly, but his hand had guided Nines’ palm through its initial pathway, placing it over his chest.

 

 

That first touch had been charged with more than Nines expected, considering it wasn’t even the first time they’d been in contact like that. Gavin was not an android, there was no way to establish a neural network between them with a simple touch, and yet the sheer volume of data Nines’ system acquired from this moment was enough to give the system a halt that even a human could see.

 

 

As Gavin’s expression changed subtly, a shadow of doubt creeping through it, Nines had moved closer, exploring the scar closest to his hand, touch gentle and precise enough to be akin to that of a watchmaker.

 

After all, one wrong move truly could’ve broken this system, which was as vast and complex as a galaxy.

 

The one of the human mind.

 

 

Perhaps not even days, years could quench the knowledge of it that Nines sought. But, as he kept reminding himself, Gavin was not a machine. He’d been uncharacteristically patient so far, and Nines cherished it, knowing it wasn’t a moment built to last.

 

 

“Gavin, you enthrall my mind more than anything I’ve come to witness since my activation. Have done so from a long time…” Nines thought ‘courage’ was a fitting word for that situation, something that they’ve both come to share while not even bound by physical danger.  

 

 

“Then will you let me… see, too?” The hand which traced the cotton of his shirt was hesitant, without a trace of the frenzied rage from days ago. Gavin was asking him to show himself too, equally; but it was a request not bound by a requirement.

 

 

Nines’ willingness to do it showed in the smooth movement of his own hand as it slid each button open, letting the cloth fall aside, reveal the statue-like physique underneath.

 

“They really went all the way, huh?” Gavin’s fingers shook a little but were quickly steadied as he pressed them against Nines’ chest more firmly, going over the grooves and ridges of his torso. “It’s yields like skin and flesh, but still somehow feels like you’re made of marble underneath…”

 

 

“Might not be that far off.” Nines changed the priority of his vocal module, making sure optimal processing power could be allocated for its flawless functionality. Gavin’s touch was causing the same overload of sensory feedback as it had before, and he briefly closed his eyes, trying to regain focus towards the conversation. “The alloy of my body is lighter than marble, but many times stronger. The shape of it cannot be changed even by fire hot enough to melt steel.”

 

 

“Wow, that’s… I don’t know how much that is but it’s a lot, I bet.” Gavin’s smirk was the first thing Nines saw as he opened his eyes again, and honestly it wasn’t making it easier to form a coherent reply.

 

 

Not that he had to, considering what came next.

 

 

Gavin’s expression had turned serious again, his gaze seeking Nines’ own as he leaned closer, a breath away. He waited a long moment, and despite that everything within Nines’ system wished to reach forth and finish the cathartic move, he felt himself wait still instead.

 

 

It was all the words he hadn’t said, it was all the reassurance Gavin had seemed to need. The realization of his intent, and the unspoken approval of it. It was letting him give what Nines so desperately desired.

 

 

When their lips finally met, the sensation overrule all others, brought more directives up front than Nines had planned and perhaps instinct was yet another emotion Gavin taught him that evening, because he met him halfway; pulling him closer, hands running over his back, burying in his hair, a dance they both excelled at.

 

Gavin’s hands were leaving blazing hot trails in their path over Nines’ skin, until he felt as if they’d burned a map over him, the destination still yet unknown. But it was a journey Nines would gladly take alongside him, as the goal was not an x, it was not the answer to an equation, but the very act of computing it.

 

 

It was lips over his cheekbone, down his neck, bringing sporadic bursts of sensation that the system had no way of predicting.

 

 

It was letting himself feel, give into Gavin’s touches completely, let him take away the last barrier of clothing which separated their bodies; it was the cool sheets underneath his back, the hot hands gripping his hips.

 

 

It was Gavin’s body; entirely, thoroughly his, sinking over Nines’ own flesh in an unparalleled ecstasy.

 

 

It was their interlaced fingers, the white of Nines’ stark in the dark of night. 

 

 

 

//

 

 

//

 

 

//

 

 

 

The next time he watched Gavin at work, it was behind the screen of an interrogation room; in the tireless pursuit of a clue, a name.

 

A lead would eventually surface, and they’d follow it through, tirelessly as ever. Gavin’s willingness to continue fighting was based on more than blind ambition; it was the fire which kept his darkness at bay.

 

And for the times which that wasn’t enough, Nines promised himself to be there. As Gavin became a part of his own life, the link between man and machine.

 

 

 

The warmth of the cup of coffee was all but muted by just the brush of their fingers, and Nines felt himself smile, knowing perception was yet another thing that could evolve out of the constraint of its initial coding.

 

 

The edge of his lips curling in a smirk, Gavin looked at Nines as if he was a mystery still left to be deciphered, before lifting the cup and winking at him.

 

 

_“Thank you.”_

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are! ♥ 
> 
> It's been a long time again, I know. But November turned out quite busy, and now I finally got to tell how those two's story continued :) 
> 
> I hope you all liked it~ This particular chapter seemed more retrospective than not, but I hope it still feels complete. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and for all kudos and comments!

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is much appreciated thank you~ also I'm writing this on the phone, please be kind towards typos and formatting errors lol.


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